Which clothing materials are NOT vegan? Creating a cruelty – free wardrobe

Vegan Fashion is a term that describes garments made from materials that are not sourced from animals, like skin or fur or are not being part of animals’ bodies (either farmed or exotic).

Many people today still believe that skin and fur are “by-product” materials of the meat industry.

According to the International Fur Trade Federation, 85% of fur skin comes directly from factory farming.

On top of that, more than a billion animals are killed exclusively for their skin every year and processed into raw materials overseas.

Therefore, choosing Vegan Fashion is a positive step towards protecting the animals’ fundamental rights, the industry’s workers, and conserving the planet.

Here is a list of the most common clothing materials that come from animals and their vegan alternatives to create a cruelty – free wardrobe.

Non vegan clothing materials

Wool and felt	Leather and suede	Cashmere, angora, pashmina, and mohair
Fur	Feathers and down	Silk
Pearls	Bone	Shell

Other non vegan materials:

• Glue in shoes and handbags is often made from animal ingredients.
• Ink in some textile dyes contains animal byproducts.
• Screen-printing and silk-screening emulsion used to print T-shirts usually contains gelatin.
• Mother of pearl and horn. These materials are sometimes used for the production of buttons, jewellery, combs, and handbag hardware.
• Animal substances in cosmetics: Fur in makeup brushes & eyelash extensions.

What are the vegan alternatives in fashion?

Hemp	Linen	Cotton
Recycled polyester and nylon	Lyocell/Tencel	Bamboo
Modal made from sustainable wood pulp	EcoVero	Monocel
Triacetate (wood silk)	Biodegradable bioplastic (made from sugar cane)

Other cruelty-free clothing materials

There is wool-free knitwear available, a well as flowy silk-like clothes.

Like so, plant-based fabrics, synthetic felt, artificial feathers and plant-based down.

There are also cruelty-free and chemical-free options available for all kinds of cosmetics, beauty, makeup and personal care products.

Makeup brushes and false eyelashes can also be found in high-quality synthetic variants and are totally cruelty-free.

You can read about why wool is not vegan here.

Where can you buy cruelty-free fashion?

Everywhere. Most brands cater for conscious customers and offer cruelty-free clothing.

For shopping inspo, check out our Ethical Brands Fashion Directory.

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